TH

George Chapman.

HIS Poet Flourished in the latter part of the Reign of Queert Elizabeth and King James I. He was received among the formoft of the Poetick Writers of that Age, for his Translations, as well as Original Writings. He joyn'd with Ben. Johnson and Marfton, in the Compofing one Play call'd, Eastward Hoe. He alfo Tranflated all Homer, Hefiod, and Mufaus, which Works were efteemed well done in that Infancy of Tranflation: His Plays which follow, are 18 in Number.

All Fools, a Comedy, 4to. 1605. Then accounted a good Play; it is Built on Terence's Heautontimorumenos or Self-Denyer, and was Acted before King James I.

Alphonfus Emperor of Germany, a Tragedy 4to. 1654. Plot from Chron. de Rebus Germanicis, fee alfo Reynolds on the Paffions, Wanley's Hift of Man, Mariana de Reb. Hift. lib. 13. c. 10. Hift. Generale d'Espagne, lib. 12.

Blind Beggar of Alexandria, a Comedy, 4to. 1598. Acted by the Earl of Nottingham, then Lord High Admiral his Servants ; this Play is neither divided into Acts nor Scenes.

Buffy d'Amboife, a Tragedy 4to. This hath been prefented formerly at St.Pauls, and fince the Restauration by the Kings Servants, with good Applaufe. Plot from the French Chron. Hen. III. Thuanas, Déferres, & Roffets Hift. Trag. de notre temps, (under the names of Lyfis and Silvie) Hift. 17. p. 363.

Buffy d'Amboife his Revenge, a Tragedy, 4to. 1613. This Play met not with that Efteem as the former, nor is it founded on fo great Truth as the other.

Conspiracy and Tragedy of Charles Duke of Byron, Marshal of France, two Plays 4to. 1608. For the Plot which is founded on Hiftory, fee Davilas Hift. France, Mezeray and other French Chron. in the time of H. IVth of France.

Cafar and Pompey, a Tragedy, 4to. 1631. Divers are the Authors that have treated on this Story, as Lucan in his Pharfalia, Svetonius in the Life of Julius Cafar, Plutarch, Vill. Paterculus, Florus, Dion, &c.

Gentleman Ufher, a Comedy 4to. 1606. A Play which deferves.no great Commendation, and I queftion whether ever 'twas

A&ted.

Humorous days Mirth, a Comedy, 4to. 1599. A Play of indifferent Repute, but entituled, A Pleafant Comedy, as it has been fundry times Publickly Acted by the Right Honourable the Earl of Nottingham, Lord High Admiral's Servants.

Masque

Mafque of the Middle Temple and Lincolns-Inn, 4to. 1614.

This was prefented at Court before the King, at the Celebration of the Nuptials between the Palgrave and the Princess Elizabeth, Mr. Inigo Jones was the Ingineer to order the Machines and Decoration of the Scenes.

May-Day, a Comedy 4to. 1611. Divers times Acted with good Applaufe.

Monfieur d'Olive, a Comedy, 4to. 1606. This Play was often Acted by her Majefty's Children with good Success.

Revenge for Honour, a Tragedy, 4to. 1654. When the Nurfery Acted in Barbican, fince the Reftauration they sometimes made ufe of this Play.

Temple, a Mafque, 4to. As I Conjecture, may be the fame with that before of the Middle Temple,and Lincolns-Inn; Mr. Langbain, nor any other that I could ever learn, having feen any of this Title.

Two Wife Men, and all the rest Fools, 4to. 1619. Mr. Langbain's former Remark on this Play was, that it exceeded in the Number of Acts any Play of what Language whatever. But if he had seen the Spanish Baud, either in the Original, or the Folio Edition in English, he might have found one with three times as many Acts; the Prologue and Epilogue of this Play are both writ in Profe, as was fometimes ufed in thofe times: Mr. Chapman's Name not be ing to the Title of this Play, it's a question whether it be really his, tho' former Catalogues make it so.

Widows Tears, a Comedy, 4to. 1612. Plot from Petronius Arbiter. See alfo the Ephefian Matron, Printed in 8vo.

1668.

Eastward Hoe, a Comedy, 4to. 1605. This was his but in part, Ben Johnson and Marfton having joyned with him in it; 'twas thought worth the reviving by Mr. Tate, our prefent Poet Laureat, who gives it the Title of Cuckolds-Haven.

A

Colley Cibber.

N Author now Living, he is of Foreign Extraction, his Fa ther being a Native of Holstein, and a very skilful Statuary. I cannot understand that his Education ever reached either of the Universities; he having been early by his Fancy led to the Stage, tho' it was not till the divifion of the Houses that he made any confiderable Figure there, and then he at once exerted both the Poet and the Player, in his firft Play call'd, Loves laft Shift, and in the part of Sir Novelty fashion, which he played himself, and fo encreased both his Profit and his Reputation; he has already Publifhed two Plays of fomething a different Character, of which in their Order.

C 2

Love's

Loves laft Shift, or The Fool in Fashion, a Comedy, Acted at the Theatre Royal by his Majefty's Servants. London, Printed 1696. 4to. And Dedicated to Richard Norton of Southwick, Efq.

In the Epistle our Author informs us that the ufual Enmity at the Succefs of an unknown Author, had produced fome Surmises that this Play was not his own; but he affures his Patron, that he fhould think he affronted him, if he should dedicate a Play to him that he could not entirely call his own; no part of this, either of the Plot or the Expreffion being borrowed from either the Dead or the Living. He indeed took a very rational Way to that Succefs, which his Epiftle lets us know this Performance of his met with, by making ufe of the extenfive Acquaintance of Mr. Southern. For that Author that will stand on the bare Merit of his Play, may fatisfie himself in its Juftnefs and Perfection, but will feldom or never reap that Profit from his Labours, that will answer either his Hopes or his Merit. Being fenfible of this, I fuppofe Mr. Cibber took care to engage the Intereft of a great many, by obliging their Vanity, in fubmitting his Play to their Perufal and Cenfure; for there is no Complement fo prevailing with Mankind, as that which is made to their Wit.

Mr. Cibber has taken Care to avoid the Guilt of an unconfeffed Theft, in avowing his Innocence, only fo far as he could remember. The Plot indeed feems to be new, as it is furprising and admirable; but fome of the Criticks will have it founded on a very great improbability, viz. on Loveless's not knowing his Wife': Tho' it may be urged in defence of it, That young Worthy's Confirmation of her Uncle's former Account of her Death might very much contribute to his being impos'd on. But were this infufficient, yet the Beauty of the Incident, and the excellent Moral that flows from it, abundantly outweigh the Fault. The Characters of Sir Novelty, Snap, Narciffa, and the Elder Worthy, feem to be good Copies of Sir Fopling, Jerry in Love for Love, Setter in the Old Batchelor, &c. Of Melantha in Marriage Alamode, &c. and Vainlove in the Old Batchelor.

Womans Wit, or The Lady in Fashion, a Comedy acted at the Theatre Royal by his Majefty's Servants, 4to. 1697.

This Play is much fhort of the former in the Eafinefs of Wit and Style, as in the Artful working up of the Plot. The Characters of Rakeish, Father and Son, with the Plot of their Walk, is much borrowed from the Fortune Hunters; from Otway's Dare Devil; from Sir Thomas Revel and his Son in Greenwich-Parke; and indeed among the other Characters there is not much new.

Sir

Sir Afton Cockain.

THIS worthy Knight lived (about the Restoration) at his Seat at Afbbourn, a Market Town in Derbyshire, his Family Ancient, pretending an Alliance with William the Firft: He had Education in Trinity Colledge in Cambridge, made the Tour of France and Italy in his Five and Twentieth Year, finishing it in the Year 1632. Poetry being his darling Study. Among other Pieces, he has left us Three Plays and a Mafque, of which in their Order.

Mafque, prefented at Berthie in Derbyshire, 1639. before the then Earl of Chesterfield, on a Twelfth-Night, his Two Sons acting Parts in the fame.

Obflinate Lady, a Comedy, 8vo. 1658. This Play feems a meer Imitation of Maffenger's Very Woman.

Ovid's Tragedy, 8vo. 1669. Some part taken from his Elegies, and part from Il Atheisto Fulminato, an Italian Play.

Trappolin fuppofed a Prince, a Tragy-Comedy, 8vo. 1658. Plot from Trapolén credulo Principe, which he owns to have seen acted at Venice, It has been revived by Mr. Tate, and acted in the Year 1685. by the Dukes Servants in Dorset Garden.

Therfites, and Tyranical Government, which may well be supposed to be none of his, tho' placed to him by Winftanly and Philips, you may find it in their Alphabet among the Anonymous Plays. Thefe are all printed with his Poems, Epigrams, &c. in 8vo,

A

William Congreve,

Gentleman now living,' who derives himself from an Ancient Family in Staffordshire of that Name. His Politer Knowledge he owes to Dublin Colledge, from whence being returned to EngLand, his firft Applications were to the Law. But Mr. Congreve was of too delicate a Tafte, had a Wit of too fine a turn, to be long pleas'd with that crabbed, unpalatable Study; in which the laborious dull plodding Fellow, generally excells the more fprightly and vivacious Wit; for the Law is fomething like Preferment at Court, won by Affurance and Affiduity; this concurring with his Natural Inclinations to Poetry, diverted him from the Bar to the declining Stage, which then stood in need of fuch a Support; and from whence the Town juftly receiv'd him as Rome's other Hope. Rochfoncault truly obferves, that Merit alone will never make a

*Cockain's Epigr. Lib. 2. Epig.7. † See his Poems p.93. and 118. C 3 Heroe

Heroe, without the friendly Affiftance of Fortune; and therefore Mr. Congreve must be faid to be as much oblig'd to her for his Success, as to Nature for his Wit, which truly deferv'd it, and of which all those that read his Plays, muft allow him a more than ordinary Share. And indeed he took the most certain way to make fure of Fortune, by the Intimacy he contracted with the most active part of the establish'd and receiv'd Wits and Poets of the Age, before he ventur'd his Reputation to the Publick. For as a celebrated French Writer has obferv'd, an Author should never expect to raise his Fame in the World, from an unknown State, by the Single Force of his own Genius, and without the Help and Concurrence of the Men of Wit, that have an Influence over the Opinion of the World in things of that Nature. But then on the other fide, it must be confefs'd,that his Merit was certainly of more than ordinary Power, to oblige them to forget their habitual IllNature; and criminal Emulation or Jealousy (to give it no worse Name) of all those, whom they have any Cause to fear, will once prove any confiderable Rivals in their Fickle Mistress, Fame. Mr. Congreve has already given us Four Plays, of which in their Alphabetical Order.

The Double Dealer, a Comedy, Acted at the Theatre Royal by their Majefties Servants, 1694. 4to. and Dedicated to the Right Honourable Charles Montague, Efq. one of the Lords of the Treafury. This Play not meeting with that Success as was expected, the Author, as Poets are generally apt to do, engages a little too violently in a Defence of his Comedy. The Character of Maskwell I take to be an Image of l'ernish in The Plain Dealer.

Love for Love, a Comedy, Acted at the Theatre in Little Lincolns-Inn-Fields, by his Majefty's Servants, 1695. 4te. and Dedi-cated to the Right Honourable Charles, Earl of Dorfet and MiddleSex. This Play, tho' a very good Comedy in it felf, had this Advantage, that it was Acted at the Opening of the New House,when the Town was fo prepoffefs'd in Favour of the very Actors, that before a Word was fpoke, each Actor was Clapt for a confiderable Time. And yet all this got it not more Applaufe than it really deferv'd: For there is abundance of Wit in it, and a great deal of diverting Humour. The Characters are juftly diftinguifl'd, and the Manners well marked. Yet in the Plot he has not given himself the Pains of avoiding that fo often repeated Improbability of Marrying in Mafques and Difguifes, which Mr.Tattle, por Mrs. Frail had Sense enough to avoid, if we may judge by the reft of their Characters; yet it must be own'd, that he has much better prepar'd this Incident to gain it.at least some fhew of Probability,than in the Old Batchelor,or than I have generally met with in other Plays. I leave the nicer Criticks to decide whether the unravelling of the Plot, and the Conduct of Angelica in it, be extreamly juft or no:

fhall

I